Vernacularises

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To translate something into the native language or dialect used by everyday speakers
2. To adapt or express concepts in a way that is accessible and familiar to the general population
3. To rephrase ideas using colloquial language that resonates with local communities

Etymology: "Vernacularises" is the third-person singular present form of "vernacularise", so the root verb is what carries the history. It is built on "vernacular", which comes from Latin "vernaculus", an adjective meaning domestic or native, originally used of things born in a household, such as home-bred slaves. The root "verna", meaning a slave born in the master's house, gives the word its sense of something belonging to the home rather than to the outside world. The verb itself follows the standard English pattern of turning a noun or adjective into an action: "vernacular" plus the verbal ending "-ise" gives "to make vernacular", that is, to render something into the everyday tongue of ordinary people. Its meaning rests on the contrast between that homely speech and the formal languages of learning, such as Latin, that were long used for scholarship and worship.